Belly Putter Ruling May Be Hard to Stomach

When George H. W. Bush was President of the United States, he kept a 52-inch putter in the grandfather clock in the Oval Office so he could practice when he had a free minute. Bush the Elder was known for his rapid pace of play, but he was also known for anchoring that putter against his chest.

Now presidents, and even ex-presidents, can pretty much do what they want on the golf course -- ask Bill Clinton about mulligans -- but for just about anyone else the end appears to be near when it comes to anchoring the putter.

Or at least the announcement of the end is near. The whispered word is that lawyers for the USGA have spent the last couple of weeks closing all the loopholes and making as specific as possible the language on the new rule, which would not go into effect until 2016.